


Deep Water

by Pi (Rhea)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-23
Updated: 2011-11-23
Packaged: 2017-10-26 11:09:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/282352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhea/pseuds/Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not an entirely irrational fear. Many islands are afraid of drowning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Deep Water

Most island nations are afraid of drowning, so it shouldn't be surprising that England is too. There have been enough disasters recently that Arthur has very clear images in his mind of what it would look like. The wave coming in to flood his land, his people. Retreating, turning the ground to inhospitable salt and leaving behind the dead and debris. It seems everywhere has it's disaster worries. There's always a fault, a volcano, something big earthy and violent, ready to shake them off their settled space. But, the thing is England isn't worried so much about the rest of it, it's the idea of drowning. The thought of feeling his people's lungs fill with water. The inevitable struggle against death, submersion under the strength of the wave in water teaming with sharp and heavy objects. England has been flooded before, sure, but there's something different in a threat from the sea. Flooding is an inner thing, his land, his rain, his space. Tsunami's bring in the Other. They've happened before, he's heard his brother's stories of the wave that took away the land, the good hunting grounds and how his people starved, salted earth and land reclaimed by the sea.

When England was a young man he remembers the wave that came to Cornwall. Unlike his brother's stories it wasn't unbearable. The waves were smaller, damaging but not catastrophic. Arthur has always feared catastrophes. And so he intends to construct a tsunami warning system, for his people, if his government will decide. Not everyone is convinced. Sometimes Arthur thinks he's being paranoid. But he doesn't have to look far to see devastation. Among nations, someone is always hurt. Arthur no longer fears civil war. His people, and others have conquered most diseases, and he no longer fears sickness. Thinking on a countries ragged history of disaster and pain perhaps it's strange to so fixate on one thing, but Arthur can't really help it. Still at times like these it's hard not to.

Being trapped on the ground by a volcano means thinking about global warming. Or rather potential cooling, which really would be nice but would only be temporary, and of course unlikely. But global warming and the Nordics means thinking about possible instability and the Storegga slide, the name that's been given to his brother's memory. It's close enough to be worrisome. So being on a sudden vacation isn't really working. Arthur can't think of a way to explain his, currently irrational, fear of drowning to Alfred. The other nation flew all the way here just to get stuck until the ban on air traffic is lifted, and instead of enjoying a trip to the seaside, here Arthur is practically biting his nails.

Like his worried thoughts summoned him, Alfred comes bounding back up the beach.  
"Hey, what's the matter? It's great, I do really like it. I mean, it's not as great as...well but we don't have castles like this in California, and hey I'm probably biased. Arthur, Arthur?" Not paying attention to Alfred always makes him more annoying, possibly because he's easily concerned. Arthur scoffs.  
"I'm fine. And you couldn't make a proper castle if you tried."  
"There's Disneyworld!" Alfred points out, which, really, proves Arthur's point.  
"Exactly."  
"Well. I like your castles. And you'll probably like my beaches!"  
"I'll get a sunburn."  
"But you'll come visit." It's not really a question. Arthur sighs again and works on ignoring Alfred as he bounds off to make a sand castle.

Arthur stay's staring at the water. It's not like he can really see Norway from here, and actually seeing Norway would be fine. Norway's an alright guy, but all that water in between, an entire sea that might rise up against him. Then Alfred's drawing him again from his revery, having built what appears to be a sand tank, or perhaps it's just an oddly fortified castle. Arthur grudgingly goes to investigate, to be swept into the American's enthusiasm and drawn away from his fatal staring contest with the greater body of water at large. Besides Alfred's probably going to try to make him eat hamburgers later and Arthur could use all the good points he can get to persuade him otherwise. Fish and Chips, that would be the ticket, something from the sea that is decidedly not out to kill him. Good. Alfred's laughing and explaining a desperate need for seashells. Really it wont kill Arthur to be diverted to find a few. And perhaps the whole volcano thing isn't so bad if he gets to have Alfred here for just a little longer. His fears, and the North Sea (and the Atlantic, and the rest of the world, etc) can wait.


End file.
